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September 25, 2012

Implementing Microsoft Lync Made Easy with Patton's Lync-Certified Product Line

By Allison Boccamazzo, TMCnet Web Editor

Many small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will undoubtedly find that implementing Microsoft (News - Alert) Lync into their existing networks is not only challenging, but intimidating. When you’re accustomed to one ‘set-in-stone’ procedure, it can be quite daunting to think about installing Lync and battling these incompatibility issues headfirst. In light of this, Patton (News - Alert) has directly addressed this issue by becoming Microsoft Lync-certified. Now, SMBs who are looking to or want to implement Microsoft Lync into their existing networks can easily and seamlessly work within their current network without having to consider all of the various pieces which may not be compatible or Lync-certified, ultimately reaping the full benefits of unified communications (UC) with Microsoft Lync.

Some examples of incompatible equipment include non-compliant SIP phones or IP-PBX (News - Alert), PSTN lines, analog phones, ISDN phones, fax and PBX. Despite the issues which may arise, many SMBs very much want to install Lync for a variety of beneficial reasons, but are prevented from doing so because of the cost of replacing their existing, incompatible equipment with those that are Lync-certified. In some cases, SMBs simply aren’t ready to ditch their preferred public switched telephone network (PSTN) lines.

Patton takes the best of both worlds and combines it into one powerful and reliable system. With its Lync-certified SmartNode VoIP Gateways, SMBs are now limitless in their opportunities to access a self-described “gateway to Microsoft Lync.”

I was able to speak with Glen Flowers, product marketing manager at Patton, who exclusively detailed why Lync-certification is so crucial for SMBs and SMEs looking to harness the power of UC today.

“Unified Communications (News - Alert) makes some mouth-watering promises for businesses of all sizes, yet a lot of companies might feel like they are on the outside looking in, especially small to medium enterprises (SMEs),” Flowers explained.

“[This also goes for] companies with investments in traditional voice systems that are working fine, and often are fully paid for or businesses that have already invested in new SIP phones and I-PBX software that may not be officially certified with Microsoft. SmartNode is the gateway that makes Lync accessible to all those organizations. Patton has made the investment to make it easy for our customers to climb on board the UC train and enjoy the ride.”

Patton’s SmartNode Lync-certified solution is ideal for anyone who has found themselves restricted after buying IP equipment that is not Lync-certified, as SmartNode bridges this gap to provide the “SIP to Lync” gateway needed between this incompatible equipment and Lync.

For those who want to enjoy the benefits of Microsoft Lync yet desire their trusted PSTN lines, SmartNode has also got you covered, as SMBs with this preference can also enjoy SmartNode Gateways in conjunction with Microsoft Lync Server, which lets users enjoy their PSTN lines and existing telephony service provider while leveraging Lync for its sought-after advantages.

Next time, we’ll discuss how Patton’s SmartNode Lync-Certified gateways can connect remote offices and non-compatible legacy equipment, so stay tuned!

Patton will be exhibiting at the ITEXPO West 2012 at booth #1014. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations.